Global oncofertility index-data gap slows progress

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing numbers of pediatric and young adult cancer survivors globally.
• Growing concern regarding cancer-related infertility and reproductive hormone loss in survivors.
• Need for standardized metrics to evaluate oncofertility care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate reproductive loss in oncofertility-practicing countries.
• To develop a global oncofertility index (OFI) for national comparisons.
• To assess the urgency and current management of oncofertility issues.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory analysis of existing global data on cancer survivorship and reproductive health.
• Conceptual framework development for a potential global oncofertility index.
• Identification of data gaps and limitations for index calculation.

Main Results:

• The development of a meaningful global oncofertility index is currently unachievable.
• Significant data deficiencies exist regarding country-specific reproductive loss metrics.
• Lack of standardized data prevents comprehensive assessment and comparison of oncofertility care.

Conclusions:

• The absence of necessary data precludes the creation of a global oncofertility index.
• Without such a metric, assessing oncofertility care progress and learning from international best practices is hindered.
• Further efforts are needed to collect standardized data to address reproductive health concerns in cancer survivors.